House approves campaign finance reform

After months of wrangling, reform groups and Democratic legislative leaders reached a deal Thursday to overhaul Illinois' campaign finance system and impose contribution limits for the first time.

Adriana Colindres

After months of wrangling, reform groups and Democratic legislative leaders reached a deal Thursday to overhaul Illinois' campaign finance system and impose contribution limits for the first time.

The campaign finance measure, the latest version of Senate Bill 1466, includes a cap on donations from political parties and legislative leaders - but only during primary election campaigns. They could still give as much as they want to candidates in general elections.

On a 66-49 roll call that fell mostly along party lines, the Illinois House of Representatives sent the proposal Thursday night to the state Senate. A Senate vote is expected on Friday.

"Why on earth would you vote for this bill?" House GOP Leader Tom Cross of Oswego asked.

The action came on a busy legislative day, as lawmakers also considered video poker, free bus rides for senior citizens and cemetery regulation.

CHANGE Illinois, a coalition of reform advocates, had wanted to cap top political leaders' donations to candidates in all elections, but members of the group called the new legislation a good first step.

Co-chairman George Ranney said the measure is "far superior" to a different campaign finance plan that lawmakers passed in the spring, with the support of Gov. Pat Quinn.

Quinn eventually vetoed the measure, which some criticized as a sham.

Under the new legislation, donations to a candidate's political committee would be capped at $5,000 from an individual, $10,000 from a corporation, labor union or association and $50,000 from another candidate political committee.

"For the first time in the history of Illinois, there will be limits on the contributions of money coming into the system," Madigan said.

The contribution limits would be for each election cycle. They also would apply to political party committees, including the committees that legislative leaders control, during the primary election season only.

Those limits would range from $50,000 to $200,000, depending on which state or local office a candidate is seeking. For example, political parties and legislative leaders could give a combined maximum of $200,000 to a primary candidate running for statewide office.

Republicans say that without similar limits for general elections, party leaders will gain even more political power.

"This will create omnipotent leaders, caucus leaders and party bosses in the state of Illinois," said Rep. Michael Tryon, R-Crystal Lake. "I think that's what Illinoisans are trying to get away from."

The legislation also creates stricter reporting requirements for campaign contributions and expenditures. Disclosure reports would have to be filed four times a year, and contributions of $1,000 or more would have to be quickly reported to the State Board of Elections.

Kent Redfield, a campaign finance expert and retired University of Illinois Springfield professor, said the new disclosure rules might be the toughest in the country.

The contribution limits wouldn't take effect until January 2011, after the 2010 elections. Other parts of the measure would take effect next July.

Video poker

Lawmakers advanced several ideas Thursday in response to cleaning up some of the mess left behind in the spring on legalizing video poker.

Senate Bill 744 would let gamblers bet as little as a penny on each bet. It also would give truck stops the authority to have machines, along with bars and restaurants.

Because many truck stops are open all day every day, that would mean video poker machines at those locations would be open all the time.

Anita Bedell, a prominent gambling critic, said that goes too far.

The House Executive Committee voted 10-1 to send the measure to the House floor.

The Senate later voted 40-12 for its own video poker measure in House Bill 1306, which would allow video poker operators who get licensed before machines are outlawed in their areas to keep operating.

That measure now heads to the House.

Madigan filed House Resolution 736, which calls for Auditor General Bill Holland to study whether state government could own and operate video poker machines itself.

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